Quick Template

Open the files you use every day (approval forms, job sheets, labels) with one double click, and have the job details filled in for you: the date, the job number you type, the file name, the artboard size and more. It can also save the new file into a new job folder.

For proofs and approval forms with many more options (placing artwork, PDFs, images, data from your job system), see Templator.

In the PowerScript packages · Version 2.0.10 · Needs PowerScripts 3.8.38 or later

Open the PowerScripts panel (Window > Extensions > PowerScripts) and choose Quick Template from the Tools scripts. The script has four tabs: Quick Links, Variables, Files and Help.

1. Make your template in Illustrator, with codes in curly brackets where details go, for example Date: {date} and Job: {job}. Save it.
2. On Files, add a row: a Description (for example “Approval form”), the template File, and Job Number,id:job in User Input.
3. Go to Quick Links and double click “Approval form”.
4. Type the job number and press OK. The template opens with the date and job number filled in.

Every text in the document with a code like {date} is replaced. The codes come from three places:

• the Variables tab (the date, the document name, the artboard size and so on),
• what you type in the User Input box when you open a Quick Link,
• data from your own website or job system, with a JSON Url.

Your files, by their description. Double click one to open it, fill in the details, and (if set up) save it.

• Open newly created folders: after saving into a new folder, open the folder.

Each row is a code to replace:

• Find: the code in your template, for example {date}.
• Type: what to put in:
  • Text: the text in Text / Format, for example your name.
  • Date: today's date or time, in the format in Text / Format (see the Help tab), for example ddd d mmm yyyy for “Sun 25 Oct 2026”.
  • File: the text inside the file named in Text / Format.
  • Document.name, Document.folder, Document.filename: the document's name, folder or full file name.
  • Document.artboardCount, Document.colorSpace, Document.rulerUnits: the number of artboards, CMYK or RGB, and the ruler units.
  • Artboard.width, Artboard.height: the artboard's size. Put the unit and decimals in Text / Format, for example '' mm,0'' or '' inches,2. * Artboard.number: the artboard's number, for page numbering. * Text / Format: the text, date format or unit for that row. For the document types, you can also use ''regex: (keep only the parts that match a pattern) or wordafter: (the word after some text, for example wordafter:Job takes “1234” from “Job 1234 Smith”).

It comes with ready-made codes such as {date}, {now}, {filename}, {page}, {pageCount}, {width-mm} and {color}.

One row for each Quick Link:

• Description: the name shown in Quick Links.
• File: the template to open.
• User Input: the boxes to ask for when you open it, separated by |. Each is a label, then options after commas: id: (the code it fills, so id:job fills {job}), required, type:number, min:, max:, maxlength:. For example Job Number,id:job,required|Customer,id:customer.
• Save As: save the new file here, using codes, for example C:\Jobs\{job} {customer}\{job} approval.ai. Missing folders are made.
• Sub Folders: folders to make inside the new job folder, separated by commas, for example Artwork,Proofs,Print.
• JSON Url: get more details from a web address, for example https://jobs.example.com/api?job={job}. It must answer with JSON that has a data object: each of its fields becomes a code ({client}, {due} …). If it also sends success: false, its errorMessage is shown.

The date format codes and units you can use, for quick reference.

1. On Files: File = your approval template, User Input = Job Number,id:job,required|Customer,id:customer, Save As = C:\Jobs\{job} {customer}\{job} approval.ai, Sub Folders = Artwork,Proofs.
2. Double click it in Quick Links, type the job number and customer.
3. The form opens filled in, is saved in the new job folder, and the folder opens.

• Codes only change in text that contains them, so the rest of the template is never touched.
• Keep a library of templates on a shared drive so the whole team uses the same forms.

• Codes in curly brackets that aren't in the list are left as they are.
• If a file in Files can't be found, the panel says which one.

• 2.0.10
  • Fixed: Quick Links use the details you type in and the data from a JSON address in the file and folder names and the text.
  • Fixed: the regex: and wordafter: formats and the File variable work.
  • Improved: general bug fixes, reliability and speed.
• 2.0.9: Buy in PowerScripts now opens the packages that include this script.
• 2.0.8: Updated for PowerScripts 3.8.32.
• Older changes: PowerScripts Release Notes